Second Temple Judaism – The Two Cities

Paul, Then and Now with Dr. Matthew Novenson (Podcast)

Jun 29, 2022

In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Matthew Novenson, who is Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Edinburgh, to talk about his new book, which is a collection of essays on Paul’s writings, entitled, Paul, Then and Now (published by Eerdmans). Dr. Novenson explains that this collection is meant to be more meta, considering the way we approach Paul hermeneutically. As part of this project, he is concerned to defamiliarize Paul for...

Anti-Judaism and the Gospel of John with Prof. Adele Reinhartz (Podcast)

Mar 9, 2022

Joining us for a conversation on Anti-Judaism and the Gospel of John, we are joined by Professor Adele Reinhartz, who is Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa. She is also the general editor of the journal of biblical literature, the president of the Society of Biblical Literature, and the author of a number of studies on the representation of Jesus in film and the Gospel of John,...

The Pharisees & Anti-Judaism with Prof. A. J. Levine (Podcast)

Feb 16, 2022

In the second installment of our Christian Anti-Judaism series we discuss the Pharisees with Prof. Amy-Jill Levine, who is Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies and Jewish Studies at Hartford Seminary, as well as University Professor of New Testament Studies and Jewish Studies Emerita, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, and Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University. Prof. Levine is also the co-editor of the volume,...

The Reality of Spiritual Warfare

Nov 29, 2018

In the Old Testament the activity of evil spirits is described a few times, and most of the times the biblical author makes sure to highlight their subordination to God. Though spirits are subordinates of God, they also exercise their influence with humans. I want to draw your attention to a few texts, both Biblical and non-Biblical in order to illustrate the influence demonic spirits have on a personal level. King Saul and David The...

Celebrating Prof. N. T. Wright: One God, One People, One Future

Nov 27, 2018

One week ago I had the privilege of presenting Prof. N. T. Wright with a Festschrift (German for ‘celebration writing’), which is a sub-genre of scholarly books comprised of essays from former students, colleagues, and long-time friends. This kind of book celebrates the contributions of a particular scholar, typically on the occasion of a major birthday or retirement. Festschriften are usually intentionally broad, containing a hodgepodge of essays that contributors choose to submit in honor of a particular scholar...

Where did Christian Baptism Come From?

Jun 16, 2016

Question of Origins What are the origins of Christian baptism? A quick perusal of the biblical texts might leave one perplexed as to the sudden appearance of baptism in the New Testament.1 Immediately and without explanation one is confronted with the appearance of John “the Baptist” and the practice of baptizing in water (Matt 3:1ff). Everyone except the reader (i.e., the author of the text itself, the people in the accounts, and perhaps even the...

Review of The Many Faces of Herod the Great by Adam Kolman Marshak

Apr 9, 2016

Adam Kolman Marshak. The Many Faces of Herod the Great. Eerdmans, 2015. 400 pgs. $35 (Paperback). ISBN 978-0-8028-6605-9. In The Many Faces of Herod the Great, Adam Kolman Marshak offers a fresh and compelling historiographical account of one of the more misunderstood figures in antiquity. While he agrees that Herod does, at times, play the part of ruthless tyrant and political opportunist, Marshak contends that the monarch’s tactics of oppression and repression “cannot account for...

Review of The Birth of the Trinity by Matthew W. Bates

Oct 31, 2015

Matthew W. Bates. The Birth of the Trinity: Jesus, God, and Spirit in New Testament & Early Christian Interpretation of the Old Testament. Oxford University Press, 2015. 234 pgs. ₤55 (Hardback). ISBN 978-0-19-872956-3. In his recent monograph, The Birth of the Trinity: Jesus, God, and Spirit in New Testament & Early Christian Interpretation of the Old Testament, Matthew W. Bates provides an alternative account of the origins of trinitarian doctrine. His thesis is that, “in...

Review of Apocalypse against Empire by Anathea E. Portier-Young

Aug 15, 2015

Anathea E. Portier-Young. Apocalypse against Empire: Theologies of Resistance in Early Judaism. Eerdmans, 2014. 462 pgs. $35 (Paperback). ISBN 978-0-8028-7083-4. Anathea E. Portier-Young’s Apocalypse against Empire (originally release in 2011) comprises, to quote John Collins from the book’s foreword, “an important contribution to the study of Judea under Seleucid rule and to the social context of apocalyptic literature” (xiii). Winner of the 2013 Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise, and now rereleased in a more...

Review of Losing the Temple and Recovering the Future by Hindy Najman

Apr 4, 2015

Hindy Najman. Losing the Temple and Recovering the Future: An Analysis of 4 Ezra. Cambridge University Press, 2014. 193 pgs. ₤60 (Hardback). ISBN 978-1-107-00618-8. Hindy Najman’s Losing the Temple and Recovering the Future: An Analysis of 4 Ezra offers a fresh and compelling reading of the apocalypse known as 4 Ezra. She approaches the text, quite justifiably, as a document that responds to the trauma and disorientation caused by the destruction of the Second Temple....